And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.
Joshua had the king of Ai hanged on a tree until evening. As soon as the sun went down, Joshua ordered his men to take the body down from the tree and throw it at the entrance of the city gate. Then they piled a large heap of stones over it, which remains there to this day.
Joshua executed the king of Ai and buried his body under a pile of stones at the city gate as a lasting reminder of God's judgment.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Joshua led the Israelites in conquering the city of Ai after an initial defeat, as part of their broader campaign to take possession of the Promised Land. The hanging of the king of Ai on a tree was a common ancient Near Eastern practice to publicly shame and deter enemies, symbolizing complete victory and divine judgment. This action also followed Mosaic law, as seen in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, which required the body to be taken down before sunset to prevent the land from being defiled.
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